Increasing Transmission Efficiency Would Cut Air Pollution

Investment in electrical transmission and distribution (T&D) systems could significantly reduce air pollution, according to a study led Lauren Janicke , an undergraduate in civil and environmental engineering (CEE), and Destenie Nock , assistant professor of CEE and engineering and public policy. Published in Energy , the researchers measured the air pollution generated through inefficiencies in T&D networks, examined opportunities for reducing emissions through regulation at the multinational and subnational scales, and compared the cost of these potential emissions reductions to the cost of investment in renewable energy. Janicke, Nock and their co-authors noted that, "Globally, 10.2 million premature annual deaths can be attributed to fossil fuel generation and associated PM2.5 emissions (fine inhalable particles less than 2.5 millionths of a meter in size), a large part of which comes from the electricity sector." When there are inefficiencies in the electrical system, more energy must be produced to compensate, resulting in excess emissions from what is termed "compensatory generation." There are well-explored opportunities for reducing emissions from the way electricity is consumed and generated; however, comparatively little research exists on the potential for reducing air pollution incurred in the delivery of electricity from the generator to the consumer. By comparing the electricity generated in a given country to the electricity delivered to end users, Janicke and Nock quantified the percentage of emissions resulting from compensatory generation in 142 countries.